The BRITISH HERBAL. 
1. Englifh Gentle Thiftle. 
Cirftum AngVaim. 
The root is compiled ol numerous, fprcading 
fibres. 
Tlie ftalk is upright, firm, not much branched, 
and two feet high. 
The leaves arc long and narrow : they are of 
a pale green, covered lightly with a greyifh, 
hoary matter, and at the edges befet with nume- 
rous, flight prickles. 
The flowers grow at the tops of the flalks; 
and they are large and purple. 
It is found on marfliy ground in many parts 
oF England, and flowers in June. 
C. Bauhifie calls it Cirfium majus fmgulari ca- 
■pitulo. 
The leaves are fometimes divided flightly at 
the edges \ and the llowcr is not unfrequently 
white. 
2. Great Genrie Thiftle. 
Cirfium majus mitante flare. 
The root is fibrous, and white. 
The fl:alk is firm, upright, whitifli, and five 
feet high ; it is rarely much branched, and to- 
ward the top it ufually bends with the weight of 
the flower. 
The leaves are very large, oblong, broad, 
woolly and whitifli on the upper fide, and quite 
white underneath. 
The flowers are large and purple: ufuafly there 
is only one at the extremity of the ftalk. 
Ic is found in mountainous damp places, but 
is not common. 
C. Bauhine calls it Gyfium finguhri capiiulo 
fqjiaramatQ. Others, Cirfium Britanicmn repens. 
The flower in this alio is fometimes svhitc. 
3. Blue Mountain Cirfium. 
Cirfium humile polyanlbemum flore c^rukfcente. 
The root is compofed of thick, white fibres. 
The ftalk is upright, tough, whitifli, and 
two feet high. 
The leaves are oblong, broad, and of a pale 
green : they are lightly downy on the furface, 
and edged with five weak prickles. 
The flowers terminate the tops of the branches 
in clufters ; and they are large, and of a bluifli 
purple. 
The feeds are large and brown. 
It is not uncommon in Wales, and flowers in 
July. 
Ray calls it Cirfium humile mofiianum cyncglojfi 
folio polyanthemum. Merret, Cardmis jmllis ca:ru' 
leo flore, 
4. Dentated Cirfium. 
Crrfiium foliis anguftis dentatis. 
The root is long and flender. 
The ftalk is weak, tough, divided into a few 
branches, and two feet high. 
The leaves are long, and Very narrow; of a 
grcyifli green, and ferrated at the edges. 
The flowers are fmall and numerous, and are 
of a bright purple. 
Ray calls this Cirfium tnontanum polyanthemum 
f alms folio. He thought it but a variety of the 
former : but I have both she plants, and they 
are certainly difliinifl:. 
E N U S II. 
THISTLE. 
C A R B U U S. 
THE flowers are placed in great numbers in a common cup. Tliis is compofed of many fcaly 
fubllances, pointed at tlie ends; and it fwells out in a rounded form. Each flower is formed 
of a fingle petal ; and is tubular, and fmall at the bottom, and fpread out broad at the top ; where 
it is divided into five fegnients, one more deeply feparated than the others. The feeds are'win^eci 
with down. The leaves are befet with ftrong and ftiarp petals, and in many fpecies alfo the flallcs. 
DIVISION I. BRITISH SPECIES. 
1. Common Way Thiftle. 
Carditus "julgattjfifmis. 
The root is white and creeping. 
The ftalks are numerous, tough, of a pale 
green, fmooth, not much branched, and a yard 
high. 
The leaves are numerous, long, moderately 
broad, and of a ftrong green : they are deeply 
and irregularly notched and finuated at the edges, 
and befet with long and fharp prickles. 
The flowers terminate the branches in nume- 
rous fmall heads ; and are of a pale purple. 
It is common in fields and under hedges. It 
flowers in June. 
C, Bauhine calls it CiirJinis resells folio fomhi. 
3 
2: Mulk-Thiftle. 
Cardmis mofchatus capiiulo tiulanle: 
The root is long, thick, and furniflied with 
many fibres. 
The ftalk is firm, upright, of a brownifn co- 
lour, and five feet high. 
The leaves are numerous, large, and divided 
at the edges : they are of a duflcy green, and be- 
fet with (harp prickles. 
The flower is large and purple ; and frequently 
there is but one at the extremity of the ftalk, 
which hangs drooping. 
It is very common in damp paftures, and 
flowers in June, 
J. Bauhine calls it Carduus mtam. C. Bau- 
hine, Cir/iim mnjus fm^ukri capiiulo magm. 
3. Thiftle 
